


Ready To Die

by Irradiated_Demigod



Category: Fallout 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-10
Updated: 2016-03-10
Packaged: 2018-05-25 22:32:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6212746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Irradiated_Demigod/pseuds/Irradiated_Demigod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Minutemen assault on the Institute hits a little snag, and someone has to make the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the Commonwealth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ready To Die

**Author's Note:**

> My first time posting anything on a site like this, enjoy, thank you for reading. Feedback is always appreciated.

Theme: Foo Fighters - Walk  
_______________________________________________

“I was ready to die. I just gave up.”, Preston said, “But you changed that.”

_______________________________________________________________________

“Um, look, I was wondering if you'd like to...come with me.”, she said.

Preston nodded, “Well, I’m sure these people can take care of themselves now thanks to you. Lead the way.”

The journey never seemed to stop. Diamond City, Goodneighbor, Fort Hagen, the Glowing Sea.

She was everything he possibly could’ve wanted, strong, capable, and selfless to a fault. Every time someone offered to join her, he’d stand by, his throat tight, waiting for her to send him back to Sanctuary. “I’ve already got someone with me, maybe some other time.”, she said. His heart would skip a beat, he’d smile lightly behind her, nodding his head to the other person politely.

Virgil came shortly after that, hunting and killing a Courser, the Railroad, finally the Institute. She was gone for a long time after that, Preston filled his days as best he could, modified his Laser Musket, helped around Sanctuary. When she came back, she spoke of the Institute, passed a holotape to Sturges, then left.

That probably made it harder, seeing her come and go, always busy, so close, and, yet, so far away.

Preston didn’t take it personally, if she found her son there, it’s where she belonged, but it didn’t make it any easier. It was a few weeks before she came back again, this time coming straight to him. The Institute again, this time about it’s destruction. “The Minutemen are behind you. I suggest you talk to Sturges, I think he’s found a way to get us inside.”

This time when she left he was getting ready for war, gathering Minutemen together. What they were about to do could very well end in their deaths, but if they didn’t try, the people of the Commonwealth would be trapped under the oppressive weight of the Institute for the foreseeable future. He couldn’t allow that, his loyalty to them wouldn’t allow it. Freedom is always worth fighting for.

When the Relay zapped him into the Institute, he found himself facing her first, her hair disheveled, just like it had been the first time he’d met her. The same pang hit his heart as before, and he grinned lightly. “Alright everyone, stay sharp, they’re bound to know we’re here. We have to reach the reactor.”

The fighting wasn’t important, somehow through all of it, all he could remember was her. She was beside or just ahead of him through most of it, the synths, Coursers with Gen 1s and 2s, often blocked their paths. She took a moment alone, speaking to the Director, her son, and then the evacuation order started up, sent people running for the elevator. He appreciated her sense of mercy. They were there to stop the Institute, not commit mass murder.

Their next push put them through Advanced Systems, and into the reactor room beyond. Scientists and synths alike stood in their way, and it was here that their team was stemmed. neither side was willing to stand down, and, thus, the conflict was much more violent than the others had been. There was pushes inward, pushes back out, Minutemen died all around them. It was in the final hour of the conflict that Preston saw the danger she was in and he moved without conscious thought, the blast went right through him, striking the Fusion Pulse Charge she’d been given by Sturges. It fried the radio capabilities of the device, which meant manual detonation was their only option.

He only had a moment to fully appreciate the pain before he felt his legs give way under him. He caught himself on the door frame to his right, slumping further down as the last of the Synths were dispatched. She was there, speaking, though he couldn’t hear a word, instead he reached out, grabbing the Pulse Charge, examining it. He had to stay focused “Sturges...”, he said aloud, “The antenna on the Pulse Charge was blasted, what’re our options?” The response came slowly, “Well...you could try bringing it back up here, but I’m not sure fighting all the way back to this location is feasible, the whole Institute is trying to get into Advanced Systems. So...manual detonation, flip the switch inside the device to set the reactor off...but that means someone has to stay behind. I wouldn’t ask anyone to volunteer.”

Preston smiled grimly, “I got hit pretty bad.”, he met her gaze, “I’ll do it.” He forced himself to his feet, holding up a hand as she attempted to protest, “You remember what I said to you...about when you found us?” She looked like she wanted to say more, but she replied with a single word response, “Yes.” He took a deep breath, “I was ready to die. I had given up, and you changed that. This wound...is mortal, I can feel it. Whether I stay here or go back up with you, I am going to die. You gave me my will to live back, and there’s no way I’d rather die than fighting for the freedom of the people of the Commonwealth.” He pulled his hat off, putting it on her head, “That fight is yours now...the Minutemen need you, the Commonwealth needs you.”

Her response was an unexpected one, “What about what I need?” He half-laughed, half-scoffed, “We’ll see each other again. It has been an honor and a pleasure knowing and fighting beside you." He glanced upward, "Sturges, zap everyone out of here, I’ll give you five minutes, then I’m blowing the reactor.” Her response strengthened his resolve, “The honor was mine, I couldn’t have asked for a better person to have standing by me through everything. Thank you...Preston-” She tried to catch him, to try one last time to convince him not to stay, but he was already out of reach, and the Relay grabbed her before she could stop him from starting his ascent toward the reactor.

He barely remembered the walk, it almost felt like the terminal came to him. He typed in the password, purging the radiation in the chamber and opening the door. The time went by slowly on the screen when Sturges spoke again, “Everyone else is out, just thought I’d say thank you, let you know I’ll tell everyone what you did here.” Preston chuckled, “What we did here. Look after everyone for me.” Sturges responded slowly, “I will. The Relay is ready, give me thirty seconds. Thank you for everything.”

He left the microphone on, Garvey could hear him being relayed out of the Institute. He stepped into the chamber opening the hatch on the side of the device, closing his eyes as he flipped the switch. There was one sound, a faint click, and then he knew no more.


End file.
